


Last Call

by BeChloeIsLegit



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-10
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-07-29 03:24:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16255679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeChloeIsLegit/pseuds/BeChloeIsLegit
Summary: Beca Mitchell hasn't seen or spoken to Chloe Beale in a year. Something happens and Beca leaves Chloe a message. Some angst and drama ahead.





	1. Chapter 1

It was just past 7:30 am on a foggy Friday morning when Beca Mitchell said goodbye to her mother and stepped onto the ferry that would take her into downtown Seattle. She had visited with her mom for the last few days and now had to return to her press tour for her debut album. She was scheduled to be on Seattle’s iHeart Radio show that morning and then had various press interviews that afternoon.

Beca was hoping if she kept busy today she wouldn’t have to think about what happened one year ago today. She stood at the second deck railing staring out into the waters of Puget Sound trying to think of anything but Chloe Beale. She had no control over it, so her memory went back to that day exactly one year ago. They were in Paris and Beca had just given her first solo appearance.

_ Beca couldn’t believe that she and Chloe had finally gotten together a few weeks before the USO tour. Beca had just finished her first solo concert and was on a high when she spotted Chloe walking toward the back of the Citadel. She followed after Chloe, ready to take her girlfriend to the celebration that DJ Khaled’s label had planned for her. She saw Chloe go through an arch and followed her. Her heart dropped as soon as she stepped through the arch. There, in front of her, was Chloe kissing Chicago. _

_ “What the hell, Chloe?” _

_ Chloe pulled back from the kiss and looked at Beca. She asked Chicago to give them a minute. He nodded his head and walked away. Chloe looked at Beca. _

_ “I’m sorry, Beca, but I didn’t mean for you to see that before I had a chance to talk to you,” Chloe said nervously seeing the pained look in Beca’s eyes. “I didn’t want to say anything earlier because I didn’t want to mess up your performance. I think, I, um. I think I need some time to figure some things out.” _

_ “Figure out what exactly?” _

_ “Figure out what my feelings are for Chicago. And you.” _

_ ”What’s that supposed to mean? I thought you loved me.” _

_ “I did, do,” Chloe told her unable to look her in the eye. “I do, but, I also have strong feelings for Chicago. Since you’re going to L.A., I thought I’d stay here with him for another week and see how things go.” _

_ Beca felt her heart shatter and her eyes teared up. “You told me you were in love with me.” _

_ “So much is changing. You’re going to be in L.A.; I’m starting Vet School in New York. I don’t know, Beca. It’s all so confusing, and I’m not sure about anything anymore.” _

_ “So, just like that? You no longer love me, but some guy who you’ve known for all of five days. You can’t be with me because I’ll be L.A. and you’ll be in New York. But, you can be with a guy who’s on the other side of the world from you.” _

_ “I’m sorry, Beca. I can’t explain it, but there’s just something about him. It just happened. It has nothing to do with how I feel about you.” _

_ “It has everything to do with how you feel about me,” Beca yelled. “Or should I say, how you don’t feel about me?” _

_ Chloe stood with tears falling down her cheeks. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I feel like I owe it to myself to see where this thing with Chicago goes. I’m sorry. No matter what happens, I hope we can still at least be friends.” _

_ “Are you serious?” Beca was hurt and angry. “What do you expect me to do? Leave you here and go off to L.A. and sit and wait for you to decide to fully dump me over the phone or by text? No thanks! Stay with Chicago and don’t worry about me. I’m done!” Beca turned and walked away from Chloe. She yelled back over her shoulder, “Oh, and as for being friends, fuck you!” _

_ Beca heard Chloe let out a sob as she continued to walk away. She listened, but Chloe never called out her name like she used to whenever Beca walked away from her. Beca didn’t let the tears fall until she was almost back to the hotel. _

_ A little while later, Beca found Theo and told him she wanted to fly to L.A. immediately. Theo made the arrangements and had Beca on a plane early the next morning. She avoided everyone and turned off her phone. She ignored texts and phone calls, especially those from Chloe and the Bellas. She never looked at or listened to any of them. Once she was in L.A., she got a new phone and new number and never looked back. _

_ Beca hadn’t spoken to Chloe, or any of the Bellas for that matter, since that day. Amy and Aubrey both tried to reach her through the label but she gave the receptionist a list of people who she did not want to talk to, no matter what. The list consisted of Chloe and all the other Bellas. She half expected Amy and Aubrey to show up at the studio one day, but they haven’t. _

Beca was brought out of her thoughts when the ferry lurched causing her to grab the railing to keep from falling. Suddenly, the ferry lurched again and she was thrown to the deck. She tried to stand and grabbed onto a doorway. There was a loud noise and she was thrown into an inside observation room. She hit her head on something and then there was nothing but darkness.

**~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~**

It was just past 2:00 pm in Atlanta when Chloe found herself sitting at the bar she, Stacie and Aubrey had become regulars at since it was just a few blocks from their shared apartment. She  knocked back another tequila shot and slammed the glass down on the bar. 

“Another,” she said getting the bartender’s attention.

The guy sitting two seats away from her was watching her. “Are you celebrating something? Or trying to drink away a memory?”

“Trying to drink away a memory,” Chloe said and downed the shot.

“May I ask what memory?”

“One year ago today is the day I lost my best friend and the love of my life. She was my everything, and I lost her because of some guy who turned out to be a major dick and married.”

“Wow,” the guy said. “If you’re not with the guy, why haven’t you tried reaching out to her? Sometimes a simple apology goes a long way.”

“She ghosted me,” Chloe replied twirling her finger around her glass to let the bartender know she wanted another. “Cut me totally out of her life.”

“Can’t say that I blame her,” the guy said. At Chloe’s glare, he held up his hands saying, “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. You’re right and I don’t blame her either,” Chloe said. “I just wish I had the courage to find her and beg her to forgive me. Even if she doesn’t love me anymore, we were once best friends. I miss that. I miss her.”

The guy took a sip of his drink and heard the sounds of a phone ringing. He looked over at Chloe since it sounded like it was coming from her direction. Chloe hadn’t made a move to answer it.

“Your phone is ringing,” the guy told Chloe.

**~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~**

Beca’s head jerked up and she sputtered. The water was all around her and she was being held up by something or someone. Her head was killing her and she had no idea what was happening. She put her hand to her head and groaned.

“You hit your head,” a voice said close to Beca’s ear.

Startled, she tried to look over her shoulder but couldn’t see because it was fairly dark.

“I’m Ben,” the voice said.

“Beca,” Beca told him. “What happened? How long was I out?”

“Something hit the ferry,” Ben said. “Or the ferry hit something. Whichever, the ferry partially sank. We’re in an air pocket somewhere inside the ferry. I was thrown around quite a bit, so I have no idea where. I think you’ve been out for about an hour, maybe a little longer.”

Beca let this information sink in. She tried to look around but could only see flashes of sunlight reflecting in the water. They were silent and Beca felt herself wanting to close her eyes. Beca could feel herself relaxing and then stiffening.

She took a deep breath and said, “We’re not getting out of this, are we?” Beca’s voice was thick with tears.

“Don’t think like that,” Ben said. “I believe we’re going to make it.”

Beca realized Ben was supporting her entire weight. “I can swim,” Beca said. “You can let go of me.”

“Only for a few minutes,” Ben said. “And only because my arms are feeling kind of numb.”

Ben loosened his grip on Beca and she moved her arms to keep herself afloat. Beca’s eyes adjusted to the dark and could see that Ben’s head and shoulders were above the water. Ben reached his arms up and shook them a few times. He then rubbed up and down his arms.

“How are you not sinking?,” Beca asked looking at him.

“I’m standing on what I think is a table,” Ben said. “We’re in a large air pocket so we should be okay. I don’t want you to have to try and stay afloat on your own. So, please give me a couple of minutes, and I’ll hold you up again. I’m worried about that hit you took to the head and I don’t want you tiring yourself out.”

“How did you come to be holding onto me?,” Beca asked.

“I kept struggling and finally made it out of the water into this air pocket and then you popped up next to me,” Ben said. “Not gonna lie, I thought you were dead at first. I turned you over to check and you took a breath, so I found something to set my feet on and started keeping your head above water.”

“Thank you for that,” Beca said. Beca tired quickly and let out a yawn.

“I’ve got you,” Ben said pulling Beca back to him. “Close your eyes and rest. You’re going to need all the strength you can to get out of here.”

“What about you?,” Beca said. “You can’t keep holding me up. You’re going to get tired again.”

“I had some time to think while you were out and I’ve got an idea,” Ben said. “I’m standing on a table. I’m guessing there are other tables in the water. What if I can find another one and stack it on top of this one? We might be able to sit and keep our heads above water.”

“I’m kind of short. You might need a third table,” Beca said and laughed.

Ben chuckled. “I think we’ll be fine with two.” 

It was dark and Beca could barely see Ben’s features, but she could tell he was worried.

“We can both get the table,” Beca said.

“Okay,” Ben said. “You hold onto my belt and we’ll go together. Are you ready?”

“No,” Beca said. “But, let’s do it anyway.”

Ben let go of Beca and she grabbed his belt. They both went under the water. Ben led the way and ran into an object and determined it was another table. They maneuvered it next to their original table but had to resurface for air.

They were both breathing heavy and waited until their breathing had settled. “We just need to lift the table and stack on top of the other. We shouldn’t have to be underwater as long as last time. You ready?”

“Ready,” Beca said.

They both dipped back under the water and managed to maneuver the table on top of the other. They resurfaced and Beca sat cross-legged on the table. The water was up to her chest but she felt better knowing Ben was more comfortable.

Beca put her hand to her head and Ben told her it was okay for her to rest. Beca was afraid to close her eyes, but before she knew it, she had dozed off. She jerked awake after and was sitting between Ben’s legs with her back to him. Ben had his arms wrapped around her waist, holding onto her. The water was now up to her shoulders.

“Sorry,” Beca said. “I’m just really tired.”

Ben didn’t say anything. They stayed quiet for a bit.

“I called my wife,” Ben said softly. “Just in case we don’t, um. Anyway, my phone’s waterproof. Is there anyone you want to call?”

Beca let out a small sob. She really wanted to call Chloe and tell her she still loved her and that she was sorry for walking away.

“No,” Beca said.

“It might make you feel better about things,” Ben said.

“Could I just talk to you about it?,” Beca asked.

“Sure,” Ben said. “Tell me whatever you want.”

Beca moved out of Ben’s arms and sat cross-legged facing him. She spent what felt like an hour telling Ben all about Chloe. How they met, even the shower incident. She told him about how she finally told Chloe how she felt about her and Chloe had told her she felt the same way. She stopped for a moment.

“You can stop,” Ben said. “I don’t need to hear any more.”

“No,” Beca said. “It still hurts but it’s part of our story.”

“Then tell me,” Ben said.

Beca then recounted how they ended up in Europe on a USO tour. And, about how she found Chloe kissing Chicago and how Chloe had decided to stay behind to see how things went with him.

“That must have sucked,” Ben said.

Beca chuckled. “Maybe a little.”

Ben started to say something when it felt like the ferry dropped and the tables they were sitting on shifted throwing them both into the water. Beca fell backward and Ben tried to grab her but his weight caused the table to fall toward him and they lost each other in the water.

Beca felt like she bounced off the table leg and then was being turned this way and that; she didn’t know which way was up. She panicked slightly but finally managed to get her head above the water line and took in a big breath of air. She kept herself afloat and coughed a bit before her breathing returned to somewhat normal. The air pocket she was in felt smaller than before. She pushed the hair off her face and began to panic when she realized that Ben hadn’t surfaced.

“Ben!”

Beca went back under the water to see if she could find Ben. She came back up and went down again until breathing became an issue and she had to stop. It was too dark to see and she hadn’t been able to find Ben. The tears came and Beca started feeling dizzy. She shook her head to clear it.

“I’m going to make that phone call now,” Beca mumbled. She had trouble keeping her head above water as she reached to pull her phone out of her jacket pocket. She managed to get her phone out and sunk down into the water. She struggled back up. She laughed and cried for a bit when her head popped out of the water. “I’m glad I paid extra for the waterproof phone,” she said and laughed a laugh that was tinged with both a little bit of humor and a whole lot of hysteria.

Beca fought down her panic and found Chloe’s number. She was glad she put all the Bellas’ numbers back in a few months ago. It was during one of those odd times she thought about calling and changed her mind. She took a deep breath before pressing the call button. The phone started ringing.

**~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~**

_ “Your phone is ringing,” the guy told Chloe. _

“Let ‘em call back,” Chloe said and got the bartender’s attention.

The bartender walked over and set a bottle of water in front of Chloe and walked away.

“This isn’t what I wanted,” Chloe yelled after him.

“Aubrey’s on her way,” the bartender told her.

Chloe huffed and tried to stand up, only to flop back down on her stool. She decided to sit there and drink the water.

“Chloe,” Aubrey said and sighed when she spotted her best friend.

“Brey, leave me alone,” Chloe said teary-eyed. “I just need this today. Please?”

Chloe started crying and Aubrey paid her tab. She helped Chloe up and led her out of the bar to her car. She buckled Chloe in and got behind the wheel and drove off.

“Have you eaten today?,” Aubrey asked. Chloe remained silent. “Let’s get some food in you and then I’ll take you home.”

“I just want Beca,” Chloe cried. “It’s been a year, Brey. One year today. I should never have kissed Chicago. I should never have told Beca I was staying with him. I should never have let her walk away.” Chloe let out a sob and let the tears fall. “I still love her, Brey. Why did I have to fuck it up so bad with her? She hates me.”

“She doesn’t hate you,” Aubrey said.

“Then why did she shut me out of her life?”

“She didn’t just shut you out of her life,” Aubrey snapped at her.”She shut us all out.”

“I never thought she’d run away and just erase me, us, from her life,” Chloe said.

“She was upset by what happened between you two. I don’t want to be a bitch, Chloe, but you broke her heart. Something you swore you would never do. And for what? Some married douchebag who just wanted to get into your pants? You’re smarter than that.”

“Apparently not,” Chloe mumbled and stared out the window.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning: If you the emotional type like me, you might want to have a hanky handy for a part of this.

Beca almost cried when the call went to Chloe's voicemail. She knows it's selfish, but she really wanted to hear Chloe's voice and have her talk to her before she succumbed to the inevitable. She was scared, and she knew that Chloe would have done her best to keep Beca calm. Beca smiled a sad smile when she heard Chloe's peppy greeting asking the caller to leave a message, knowing it was probably the last time she'd hear Chloe's voice. Beca wasn't sure what she was going to say, and then the phone beeped for her to record her message.

Beca started talking. She was still talking when her phone beeped and went silent. She looked at the screen and tried to turn it back on. Nothing happened. Beca let go of the phone and cried, alone in the water. She sputtered again as more water entered her mouth. It was getting harder and harder to keep her head above water, and she was getting tired. She decided to go out of this world on her terms and dove under the water. There was some light in the water, and she saw what looked like an opening, so she swam toward it.

**~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~**

Aubrey took Chloe to their favorite diner. They entered to find everyone crowded around a small TV watching some breaking news.

Aubrey tried to look over them to see what was happening. The woman at the back looked over her shoulder when Aubrey accidentally bumped into her. "I'm sorry," Aubrey said. "What's happening?"

"A ferry crashed in Seattle," the woman told Aubrey. "It happened a couple of hours ago. A lot of people died, and there are a lot more unaccounted for. They're still pulling people out of the water."

Aubrey turned to Chloe. "Doesn't Beca's mom live in Seattle?"

"Yeah," Chloe responded, not really paying much attention.

Aubrey couldn't see the TV with the crowd that was gathered around it. She led Chloe over to a table and sat down. After a few minutes, a waitress finally came to the table.

"I'm sorry for the wait," the waitress said. "The ferry crash is big news right now. A cargo ship ran into the ferry. They apparently couldn't see because the fog was so heavy. Part of the ferry is under water. The only thing keeping the ferry from totally sinking is the cargo ship. The report said there were 275 people were on board. As of now, at least 30 are confirmed dead, and over 150 are hurt. The rest are unaccounted for."

"That's terrible," Aubrey said.

Aubrey and the waitress started chatting about the news, so Chloe pulled out her phone. She noticed she had a missed call from an unknown number and a voicemail. She furrowed her brow and decided to listen to the voicemail since she wasn't really paying attention to whatever Aubrey and the waitress were talking about.

" _He-hey, Chlo, Chloe. It's um, me, Beca. Beca Mitchell,"_ Chloe heard Beca say. She put a hand to her mouth and gasped.

"Beca?"

Aubrey heard Chloe and looked at her. Chloe had a smile on her face; Beca had called **_her_**. The voicemail continued, and suddenly the smile left Chloe's face, and she let out a heart-wrenching cry of pain and anguish as her phone dropped from her hand onto the table with a loud clatter.

"Nooooooo," Chloe wailed holding her hand over heart as the tears flowed.

"Chloe?" Aubrey looked at her and then down at the phone. "What's wrong? What's going on?"

"Beca," was all Chloe could say through her sobs.

Aubrey picked up the phone and listened; the voicemail was still going.

" _. . .making you happy. And, please tell the girls I'm sorry and that I love them, too. I hope you can forgive-"_ The voicemail ended.

Aubrey reached over and pulled Chloe to her. "Hey, it's okay," Aubrey said. "This is a good thing-"

"No, it's not," Chloe sobbed. She looked right at Aubrey. "She's on the ferry."

Aubrey jerked back. "What?"

"Her message sa-said she's on the fer-ferry," Chloe stuttered out between sobs.

Aubrey took the phone in shaking hands and pressed to replay the voice mail message. She put it on speaker and held Chloe tightly to her. Beca's voice came through the phone.

" _He-hey, Chlo, Chloe. It's um, me, Beca. Beca Mitchell,"_ they heard Beca say. They heard what sounded like sputtering and then Beca's voice again. _"Please don't delete this without listening all the way through. P-P-Please? I just called because I, I need to tell you."_ They heard Beca sputter again. _"Oh, God, the water's rising again."_

Aubrey gasped, and tears started to fall down her cheeks. At this point, the diner was silent as Beca's panicked voice filled the air.

" _I don't know if you're still listening or if you've heard the news yet, but there was a-"_ the sounds of Beca sputtering and water splashing came through the phone's speaker. Chloe was crying so hard she was shaking. _"There's been a ferry crash near Seattle. Chloe, I'm, I'm, on the ferry that crashed. I'm in an air pocket somewhere inside the boat. I-"_ There was a pause and what sounded like Beca swallowing. _"I, uh, I do-don't think I'm going to make it out."_

Aubrey wiped her cheeks and tried to keep her sobs in. Chloe was practically in hysterics holding her hands over her ears so she didn't have to hear Beca's words again.

" _I'm so sorry, Chloe. I should never have let you go without putting up a bigger fight for you. This is probably my last call ever."_ They heard a shaky laugh and Beca started crying harder. _"And, I just couldn't leave this world without telling you that-"_

There was a pause, and they could hear Beca sputtering as if she was spitting water out of her mouth.

" _I, uh, I still love you, Chlo. I know it's a dick move to wait until I'm about to die to call you."_

They could hear Beca really sobbing at this point. There were a few seconds of Beca crying and then she cleared her throat. Her voice was quiet when she continued speaking.

" _I never stopped loving you, Chlo. I, I hope you're happy. I hope Chi-Chicago is making you happy. And, please tell the girls I'm sorry and that I love them, too. I hope you can forgive-"_

They heard a beep and then there was silence. Aubrey finally let out the sob she had been holding in and clutched Chloe tighter. The waitress put a hand on Aubrey's shoulder and with tears in her own eyes and asked, "Can I call someone for you girls?"

**~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~**

Beca felt like she was floating, her body weightless as it moved through the water. She was tired. How long had she been in the water? Five minutes? Ten? Two? Time did not exist. She didn't try to swim, finding herself relieved that there wasn't anyone there to tell her not to give up, to keep fighting. She opened her eyes, and she could see the light refracting in the water. It was sparkly and hopeful even though there was no hope. It was so bright above her as if she was close enough to the surface that she could reach up and break the plane between water and air with her hand.

Beca's eyes closed and for a brief moment, she felt free. Freer than she's ever felt before. Free from anxiety, free from worry, free from life. She is lost in her thoughts as she starts to slowly float down.

" _I wonder if Ben is in heaven,_ " Beca thinks. " _He deserves to go for doing everything he could to save me. I hope there are no regrets in Heaven. I don't want Ben to feel bad because his efforts weren't successful._ "

Beca's musings continued as she seemed to be suspended in the water. " _I hope Aubrey is around when Chloe finds out I didn't make it. Even if Chloe didn't love me like I wanted, I hope she still loved me as her friend. I wonder if she even still cares. I wonder if she listened to my message. I wonder if she believes I still love her_."

Beca's eyes suddenly open. " _Chloe_!," her mind screams. She looks around frantically. " _I can't breathe. I need to breathe_."

Beca looks up and is glad to see so much light above her head. She had to be close to the surface. " _I need to go toward the light. I need to get to Chloe._ "

Beca's arms suddenly started moving, frantically and with determination, pushing herself upward. Her lungs were on fire; she needed air. She fought with everything she had not to take a breath as she frantically fought her way up. But, it was too far. " _I'm not going to make it_ ," Beca thought before her body went limp and everything went black.

**~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~**

A tearful Stacie had picked up Aubrey and Chloe from the diner. She drove the two girls back to their shared apartment and Chloe had laid herself in the fetal position on the sofa and hadn't moved or said anything since they arrived. She stared at nothing and was not responding to anything or anyone.

Several of the Bellas who still lived in the Atlanta area had arrived once Stacie put out the word about Beca. They were all sitting and talking while the TV played quietly in the background.

"They found someone," Jessica said and grabbed the remote to hear what was being said.

" _It appears to be a woman in the water,"_ the reporter said as the cameras zoomed in. _"A man has jumped in and is making his way toward her."_

The camera was suddenly on the man swimming out to to the woman in the water. The reporter remained quiet as the camera showed everything that was happening. The man reached the woman and grabbed her and turned her over. He yelled out, "She's breathing. She's alive." He started to swim back to the dock with her. Two men jumped into the water to help bring the woman to safety. When they reached the dock, several hands reached down to pull the woman out of the water.

" _This is truly a miracle,"_ the reporter's voice said. _"Authorities have been on the scene for almost six hours and were now operating on the premise that this had turned into a search and recovery effort. The hopes of finding anyone else alive, gone."_ The cameraman and reporter moved closer so the cameraman could get a better view of the girl.

Once the woman was on the dock, one of the EMTs moved the hair away from her face, and you could clearly see her. The cameraman zoomed in, and the Bellas all gasped.

The EMT put a portable oxygen mask on her. Others rushed over with a gurney, and they placed Beca on it.

"Oh, my God," Stacie said barely above a whisper.

"Th-that's Beca," Jessica said not believing it.

Chloe heard Jessica and jumped up from the couch. She stared at the TV hoping they'd show another picture so she could see if it was Beca.

"She's alive," Ashley said with tears in her eyes.

The EMTs had the girl on the stretcher and was rushing her toward the ambulance. The cameraman got a clear, close up shot of her. Even with the oxygen mask covering the lower half of her face, Chloe knew.

"Beca," Chloe said as tears ran down her cheeks. "It's her. It's Beca."

"I'm going to Seattle," Stacie said and pulled out her phone.

"Wait, Legs," Fat Amy said as a tear ran down her face. "I have a jet. I'll take whoever wants to go."

"I think we should all go," Aubrey said. "Someone call Emily and let her know what's going on. We should also call her dad."

Fat Amy pulled out her phone and started making calls. Chloe stood staring at the TV. Aubrey went over to her and took her by the shoulders.

"Chlo," Aubrey said trying to get Chloe to look at her. "Chloe, look at me. We're all going to Seattle. You need to pack and get ready to go."

"She's alive, Brey," Chloe cried and threw her arms around her best friend.

**~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~**

The scene at Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital was one of organized chaos. The Bellas hurry in and find Beca's mother, father, and stepmother, Sheila, sitting together, holding hands.

"Dr. Mitchell. Mrs. Mitchell," Aubrey called out to them. "How, um, how is she? How's Beca?"

"They're still working on her," Dr. Mitchell said as he ran a hand through his hair. "She came in, and her body temperature was low. They worked on her for close to, close to-" Dr. Mitchell broke down.

Sheila held her husband while he cried. Beca's mother continued.

"Her body temperature was extremely low from being in the cold water. They worked on her for almost three hours before they got her body temperature up. They almost lost her twice. They said she's still unconscious and not quite out of the woods yet. It's all up to her now."

Tears fell down Chloe's face. "Come on, Beca. Fight. Come back to us," she whispered. "Come back to me."

Aubrey heard Chloe and just pulled her into a hug. They both let the tears fall and were sending up silent prayers for Beca.

**~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~**

Beca suddenly sat up in the bed. She sat for a moment and looked around. It looked like she was in the hospital. She was startled when saw her grandmother standing next to her bed.

"Gram?"

"Hi, Beca."

"You're dead," Beca said. "How are you here? Oh, my God! Am I dead, too?"

"No," Gram told her. "You're not dead; not yet. But, you will be if you don't fight to live. Fight like you did in the water. Fight to get back to-." Beca's grandmother stopped and looked at Beca. She smiled and said, "Fight to get back to Chloe."

Her grandmother started walking away, and Beca jumped up and ran after her.

"Gram," Beca called after her as she followed. "How are you here? Why are you here?"

"How I'm here, I don't know. Why I'm here is because you need to go back and make things right, Beca," Gram said looking at Beca fondly. "Your friends all came to see you, and you need to go back. You don't belong here."

"I'm not sure I belong anywhere," Beca said quietly.

"You do, my sweet child," Gram said as she stroked Beca's cheek. "You do belong. You belong with Chloe. Go back so you can be with her. She is where you belong. It is not your time to be here."

"How can you know that?"

"I'm always watching over you, my dear."

Her Gram looked at Beca and Beca looked back. Beca felt herself being pulled into a hug.

"It's saddened me to see how this past year has been for you. You shut yourself off from Chloe. From all your friends. That was unfair of you."

"Unfair of me? Chloe broke my heart. It was just easier to have nothing to do with any of them."

"And, also very lonely. If you had stayed in touch with them, you could have had one of the best years of your life."

"How do you figure that?"

"You and Chloe would still be together," Gram said.

"How? She chose Chicago," Beca said getting a bit angry.

"She realized her mistake later that night and wanted to tell you, but you were already gone. She had decided to break it off with Chicago, and that's when she found out he was married."

"Married?"

"Yes, married. Chloe didn't know when she told you about staying with him. She was scared Beca. You just signed to be a solo artist; you were moving to L.A. to make music. Your dreams were coming true."

"Not much of a dream when the one you love isn't beside you."

"I know, sweetie," Gram said. "But, she was a bit overwhelmed and thought you were leaving her behind. That's why she turned to Chicago. She thought it would hurt less if she broke it off with you before you moved to L.A."

"That's stupid," Beca said. "I love her. We barely got a chance to see where our relationship could go when she just decided to throw it away."

"But, that's not what she was doing," Gram said. "I know it's hard to hear, but she didn't know what she was doing, and it all got out of hand. She still loves you, and you owe it to yourself to talk to her. And, for that to happen, you have to go back. Go back to-"

**~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~**

"Chloe?!," Beca screamed as she sat up on the table and flopped back down.

"She's back!," the doctor yelled.

Activity around Beca amped up, and she tried to open her eyes. She could hear voices.

"Chloe?"

"What was that? Is that your name? Chloe?"

"The EMT said she's Beca Mitchell."

"Chloe?"

"If she's Beca, who is Chloe?"

"Need...to see...Chloe," Beca mumbled.

"Miss Mitchell, can you open your eyes for me? Can you open your eyes?"

Beca's eyes opened slightly and closed again. She did this a couple of times before her eyes opened all the way. She looked around panicked.

"It's okay," a woman said and looked down at Beca. She lightly touched her arm. "You're okay. I'm Dr. Grey, and you're in the hospital. Do you remember what happened?"

"Ferry," Beca said, blinking a few times.

"That's right," Dr. Grey said. "You were in a ferry boat accident. You are in the ER at Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital in Seattle. You gave us quite a scare."

"Am I okay?," Beca asked.

Dr. Grey smiled slightly. "It was touch and go for a bit. Your body temperature is back up to normal, and you're breathing on your own. You're answering questions and seem to be aware of what's happening around you, so your brain function is good. I'd say you're doing much better than okay."

Beca smiled slightly. "Yay me."

Dr. Grey smiled at her. "I know your family and friends are here and want to see you."

"Chloe?," Beca asked furrowing her brow.

"I'm not sure," Dr. Grey said. "You asked for her a couple of times. We'll ask for her when we go let your parents know you're awake. Do you have any questions?"

"Can I see them?," Beca asked as a tear slid down into her ear.

"I'll go brief them and bring them back to see you," Dr. Grey said. "Do you want me to bring Chloe back if she's here?"

"She won't be," Beca said as another tear slipped from her eye.


	3. Chapter 3

"Family of Beca Mitchell," Dr. Grey called as she walked out to the waiting area.

Beca's parents and Sheila stood, and Dr. Grey approached them. "Family of Beca Mitchell?," she asked. They nodded, and Dr. Grey said, "I'm Dr. Grey. Beca's awake."

They all let out a breath they had been holding. Chloe and the rest of the Bellas all smiled through their tears and hugged each other. Aubrey pulled Chloe to her in a side hug.

"She's awake, and she's breathing on her own," Dr. Grey told them. "She is also answering questions, and we don't see any brain dysfunction. She's truly a miracle."

Beca's mom hugged Dr. Grey. "Thank you, doctor."

"Can we see her?," Beca's father asked.

"I can take you back," Dr. Grey said. "She's also been asking for someone named Chloe. Is she here?"

Chloe's head shot up, and she looked wide-eyed at the doctor. The Bellas all looked at Chloe in shock.

"She asked for me?," Chloe asked voice timid.

"If you're Chloe, then yes she did," Dr. Grey said. "Although she didn't seem to believe you'd be here."

"She just hasn't seen Chloe, or her friends, in a while," Dr. Mitchell explained. "I'm sure she will be happy to know they are all here for her."

Aubrey gave Dr. Mitchell a thankful smile and turned to Chloe. "You should go see her."

"Dr. Mitchell, Mrs. Mitchell," Chloe said. "Would you mind if I went to see Beca when you get back?"

"I think she'd like that," Beca's mother said. "I think she'd like that a lot."

A tear ran down Chloe's face. "Thank you."

Dr. Mitchell took Sheila's hand and followed Beca's mother and Dr. Grey. Chloe turned to Aubrey.

"What do I say to her?," Chloe asked.

"I don't know, Chloe," Aubrey responded. "But she must want to talk to you if she asked for you."

"I guess," Chloe said and wrapped her arms around herself. "Now that Beca's back the girls are going to know I'm the reason she left. I shouldn't have kept everything from them."

"Chlo," Aubrey said. "They all know what happened. They were understandably upset at first, but it was Beca's choice to shut everyone out. They don't put all the blame on you. They blame Beca, too, but look where they are? They are here for Beca, and they, we, will always be here for her and you, no matter what."

Chloe looked around at the Bellas. She could hear them talking about how happy they were that Beca was going to be okay and they couldn't wait to see her. They were smiling and chatting as they waited for the Mitchells to return.

**~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~**

"Beca!," her mother cried and ran to hug her. Beca sat up in the bed and grabbed onto her mother like she was never going to let her go.

Beca's dad sat on the other side and pulled the two into a hug. All three were crying. Sheila stood next to her husband and rubbed his back.

"God, Beca," her father said. "You scared the hell out of us."

"I scared the hell out of me, too," Beca said with a laugh. She pulled back from her parents and looked at them. "I, um, I was kind of ready to just give up. I was in the water and I-"

"Hey," her mother said. "Don't talk like that. You didn't give up."

"I tried to swim to get out of the water, but I was too weak," Beca stopped and looked at her lap. "I was at the point of giving up when I started thinking about Chloe and what it would do to her if I died."

The last was said so quietly that her parents had to strain to hear her.

"I left her one of those last call type messages," Beca said as tears fell down her face. "I haven't talked to her in a year, and she was the only person I wanted to talk to before I, I-"

She put her head on her mother's shoulder, and her mother held her while she cried. Her dad rubbed Beca's arm to try and comfort her.

"I don't know what you said," her father told her. "But, it worked. Chloe and most of your Bellas are here."

Beca pulled back and looked at her dad incredulously. "Are you serious?'

"Yes," her father said. "They're waiting in the waiting room. Chloe already asked if she could come back after we were done."

"Why are they here?," Beca asked. "Did Chloe listen to my message?"

"They care about you, Beca," Sheila said.

"But, I ghosted them all because I was angry with Chloe," Beca said with tears in her eyes. "Why would they still care about what happens to me?"

"Beca," her dad said and took her hand. "It's kind of hard not to care about you. They all understand what happened. Aubrey told me that she and the one you call Fat Amy tried to reach out to you, but you didn't respond. They knew you needed space and let you have it. They were making plans to go to L.A. and track you down."

Beca swallowed the lump that was in her throat and looked at her dad.

"He's right, honey," Beca's mom said. "They heard what happened and Amy flew them all here so they could see you. Talk to them, and you'll see how much they missed you."

Beca nodded her head and wiped at a tear. "Okay," she said. "But could you ask Aubrey and Amy to come in first? I want to talk to them before I see Chloe."

"We can do that," her mother said.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Dr. Grey said as she came into the room. "We have a room ready for Ms. Mitchell, and we need to move her."

"How long do you think I'll be here?," Beca asked. "In the hospital?"

"All your tests look good," Dr. Grey said. "I would say no more than a day or two. You do have a mild concussion, so we want to keep an eye on that."

"Do you know the room number she's moving to?," Mrs. Mitchell asked.

"Room 327," Dr. Grey told her. "It will take us about half an hour to get her moved and settled. You can visit her after that. There's also a waiting area on the third floor you can move your group there."

"Thank you, doctor," Dr. Mitchell said. "Becs, we'll let the others know. We'll come by later."

"Okay," Beca said.

**~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~**

The Mitchells came back to the waiting room and let everyone know that Beca was doing great. They would have to wait to see her until she was set up in her room. Dr. Mitchell also told them that Beca asked to see Aubrey and Amy before Chloe.

"The doctor said we could wait in the third-floor waiting room," Dr. Mitchell told the girls.

They followed Beca's folks to the elevator and went to the third floor. Chloe had a worried look on her face.

"She's fine, Chloe," Aubrey said. "Don't look so worried."

"I'm not," Chloe said quietly. "I'm just wondering why she wants to see you and Amy before me? Do you think she's still mad at me?"

"You heard the message she left," Aubrey said. "That was pure honesty, and she still loves you. Maybe she's nervous about seeing you. Let's just wait to see what she has to say before you start panicking."

The group finds the waiting area and take seats. A nurse comes in about thirty minutes later asking for Aubrey and Amy. The two blondes walked over to the nurse and then followed her down the hall. The nurse showed them to Beca's room, and they walked in.

Beca looked up. "Hey."

"Oh, my God, Beca," Amy yelled and rushed over to her. She grabbed Beca in a big hug and just held her.

"Hey, Ames," Beca said smiling as tears rolled down her face. "I'm glad to see you. You too, Aubrey."

"Good to see you, Beca," Aubrey said. "Okay, Amy. It's my turn."

Amy smiled and pulled away from Beca. Aubrey grabbed her, and the tears started falling again for both of them. Aubrey pulled back and then slapped Beca on the arm.

"What the hell, Beca," Aubrey chastised. "I know what Chloe did was painful, but it didn't mean you had to ghost the rest of us."

"I know," Beca said quietly. "It was just easier. I didn't want to hear about how happy she was with Chicago, or how she was getting married to him, or they were having a baby together. I don't think I could have survived any of that."

"Oh, Beca," Aubrey said sadly. "Chloe didn't stay with him. She realized she made a mistake as soon as you walked away from her but she didn't know what to do. She told Chicago that nothing was going to happen between them and he got angry with her. That's when she found out he was married."

"I know," Beca said.

"You knew he was married," Aubrey said. "How did you know that?"

"It's a long story," Beca said. She looked down at her fidgety hands. "Did she, um, did she listen to my voicemail."

"We both did," Aubrey said. "Before we heard it, she had told me she was still in love with you and was angry with herself for breaking your heart and not doing more to find you before you flew to L.A. She hasn't really been herself this past year."

"She still loves me?," Beca asked softly as a small smile formed on her face. Beca thought for a moment and then furrowed her brow. "Did you force her to come here?"

"No," Aubrey said quickly. "Once everyone heard about what happened, we all wanted to be here for you. Especially Chloe." Aubrey looked at Beca and smiled at her. "She's nervous as hell and is probably pacing back and forth in the waiting room wondering why you wanted to see Amy and me before you saw her."

"I wanted to thank you both," Beca said sincerely. "I know you tried to reach out to me a few times and I told everyone I didn't want to talk to any of you. I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay, Beca," Aubrey said. "Amy and I were planning on flying out to L.A. and camping out at the studio until you talked to us."

"By camping out," Fat Amy added. "She means staying at the hotel across the street from the studio and watching for you like on a stakeout."

Beca let out a laugh, a real laugh. "God, I missed you guys."

"We missed you, too," Amy said.

The three friends grew quiet. Amy looked at Aubrey and then at Beca.

"Um, maybe we should go," Amy said. "Let Chloe come back to see you."

"No," Beca said quickly. "I mean, stay for a bit longer."

Aubrey smiled at Beca. "It's going to be okay, you know. You and Chloe need to talk."

"I know," Beca said. "It's just...I don't know what to say to her."

"I think you said everything in your voicemail message," Aubrey said. "Let Chloe talk first and go from there."

Beca nodded her head. "You're right. Would you, um, would you ask her to come back, please?"

"We will," Aubrey said.

Beca took a deep breath and let it out when Aubrey and Amy left the room. She was nervous and anxious to see Chloe. It had been a year, and the last words she said to Chloe were not kind. Beca sat up in the bed playing with her fingers and looking down at her hands.

"Hey," she heard Chloe say and jerked her head up.

Tears sprang to Beca's eyes as soon as they met Chloe's. "I'm so sorry," Beca sputtered out.

Chloe ran to her and grabbed her in a hug. They sat there holding each other and crying for a few minutes. Chloe was the first to pull back.

"You have nothing to apologize for," Chloe said. "I do and I am so, so sorry. I never should have kissed Chicago or told you I wanted to be with him. I was-"

"Scared?," Beca said. "Insecure? Too many changes were happening, and you didn't know how to process everything? Thought I was leaving you behind?"

"How, how did you know that?," Chloe asked. "I didn't even realize that's what I was doing until a couple of months after you left."

"Your brain does some weird shit when your unconscious," Beca said. "I talked to my grandmother who's been dead for almost twenty years. She told me all kinds of stuff."

Both girls sat, looking down at their hands and not speaking. Beca snuck a glance at Chloe and saw her wipe a tear from her cheek.

"So, um, how's vet school?," Beca asked.

"I dropped out," Chloe said.

"What? Why?," Beca asked.

"I couldn't concentrate, and my grades took a drive," Chloe said. "I dropped out and moved to Atlanta. I live with Aubrey and Stacie. I help Stacie with Bella a lot since I only work part-time. Bella's a year old now. Stacie's a great mom."

"I'm sure she is," Beca said. "You said you work part-time. What do you do?"

"I got a part-time teaching position," Chloe said. "I teach music at a nearby elementary school."

"You're a teacher?," Beca asked. "That's great. I always thought you'd make a great teacher."

"I'm not really a teacher," Chloe said. "But, I think I want to be. I've been thinking about going back to school to get my Teaching Degree."

"You should do it," Beca said with a smile.

They both grew quiet again. The silence was only slightly less uncomfortable than the last. Chloe took a deep breath and looked at Beca.

"Did you mean what you said in your voicemail message?," Chloe asked quietly. She held her breath waiting for the answer.

"Yes, I did, I do," Beca said. "I never stopped. I still love you, Chlo."

Chloe let out the breath she'd been holding along with a sob. "I never thought I'd see you again," Chloe said. "And certainly never thought I'd hear you say those words to me again. I thought you hated me."

"I wanted to hate you," Beca said. "And I think for about a minute I did when I started walking away from you that night. But, not a day has gone by that I didn't think about you. It hurt a lot because I thought you were with Chicago and living a happy life with him, but I never hated you."

"I'm really sorry about all that," Chloe said. "I swear I never meant to hurt you. I wasn't thinking, and it all got out of hand."

"I know," Beca said and took Chloe's hand. "So, what happens now?"

"What do you want to happen?," Chloe asked.

"I don't know," Beca said. "You haven't said how you feel, you know, about me. Have you thought about me at all?"

"God, Beca," Chloe said. "You're practically the only thing I do think about. I was so stupid, and I hated myself for what I did. I love you, Beca. I loved you then, and I love you now. I swear if you'll have me I'll spend the rest of my life proving it to you every day."

"I think," Beca started and looked down at their joined hands. "I think I'd like for us to try being friends again. I know you're in Atlanta, and I'm in L.A., but I think we should at least give it another try."

"Or," Chloe said. "I can move to L.A. and get my teaching degree. We were together as a couple for only a few weeks before I screwed up, but it was the last time I felt truly happy. I know you said we should be friends, but I really want to be your girlfriend again."

Beca smiled through her tears. "I'd like," she started to speak and stopped. She pulled Chloe into a hug. "I'd like it if you moved to L.A. to go to school to get your teaching degree. It would be nice having a friend in L.A. Maybe we can start there and see if dating is something we want to do later on."

Chloe pulled back from the hug. It hurt, but she knew Beca was right. "Being friends again sounds good. You're right; we have a ways to go to get back to where we were. But, I meant what I said about proving to you that I do love you. But having my best friend back in my life is enough for me right now."

"Good," Beca said.

"Could we cuddle?," Chloe asked quietly.

Beca laughed and held out her arms. "I do miss your cuddles."

Chloe let out a squeal and snuggled into Beca's side. She put her head on Beca's shoulder, and Beca wrapped her arms around Chloe. They both sighed and relaxed for what felt like the first time in a very long time.

**~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~**

"Chloe's been back there for a while," Stacie said. "She's had enough time. I'm going back. I want to see Beca."

"I'll go with you," Jessica said.

"Wait," Aubrey said. "Give them a few more minutes. I know you want to see Beca, but I think they need to work this out, one way or the other."

"I think Aubrey's right," Beca's mom said. "All Beca talked about was trying to make things right with you girls. Especially Chloe. Give them time."

"You're right," Stacie said and sat down.

**~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~**

About fifteen minutes later, Beca's mom asked Beca's dad, "Do you think everything's okay?"

"I'm sure everything is fine," Dr. Mitchell said. "They have a lot to talk about. Let them."

Stacie decided she couldn't wait any longer. She got up and said, "I'm going back. It's been long enough."

Stacie started walking down the hall toward Beca's room. Jessica jumped up and hurried after her. They got to Beca's room and stopped at the door. Both girls smiled at the sight before them.

Chloe was laying on her side with her head on Beca's shoulder, and Beca's arms wrapped tightly around her. They were sleeping, and both had a smile on their face.

"I guess they made up," Stacie said with a laugh.

Jessica pulled out her phone and took a couple of pictures of the two girls wrapped up in each other.

"This is is where Fat Amy would say, 'Bhloe is real!'," Jessica said and laughed.

Stacie laughed, and they went back to the waiting area to let everyone know the latest development on the Bhloe/Bechloe front. They were laughing and smiling as they made their way into the waiting room.

"That was fast," Aubrey said.

"We didn't want to disturb this," Jessica said and held up her phone to show everyone the picture she just took.

"Oh, my God," Aubrey said with a smile. "They made up."

"Yes," Amy said. "Bhloe is real!"

Jessica laughed and turned to Stacie. "Told you so."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it, folks. I leave it to you to decide whether Beca and Chloe become more than friends again. In my world, their love is strong enough to get past their past and they are now living happily together in L.A. as a couple.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who left kudos and comments, and who stuck with me and made it this far.


End file.
